Safety crossing device



7 June 27, 1939.

F. s. LALOR El AL 2,163,980

SAFETY CROSSING DEVICE Filed-April 9, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fred 111020? Eugene/Jinan ATTORNEY June 27, 1939; F. s LALOR ET AL SAFETYCROSSING- DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I on Z ZN A L M MW e 9 ru 5 3 Q 2/ Q 2A e O A W W ATTORNEY June 27, 1939. F, 5 LALOR AL 2,163,980

SAFETY cnossme mavxcn Filed April 9, 193a s sheets-sheet, s

. Frecbfiilalor EugeneflZZe/n ATTORNEY Patented June 27, 1939 lJNlTEDSTATES SAFETY CROSSING DEVICE Fred S. Lalor, Eagle Grove, and EugeneAllen, Clarion, Iowa Application April 9, 1938, Serial No. 201.154

2 Claims.

This invention relates to safety crossing devices and has for theprimary object the provision of a device of this character which willprovide a clearly visible signal in the form of a manikin or figuremovable into and out of signaling position, either manually operated orautomatically controlled by a vehicle or railway rolling stock whentraversing a given area to warn either motor or pedestrian trafficagainst entering said area.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists incertainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of our invention, reference is to be had tothe following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a vertical sectional view illustrating a safety crossing deviceconstructed in accordance with our invention and showing a wiringdiagram therefor.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the powerdriven control for the pneumatic operating means of the signal and alsothe vent means.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the pneumatic controloccupying an open position to admit air pressure to a cylinder of theoperating means for the signal.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the connection betweena valve arm and the governor.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a part ofthe actuating means for the signal.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating thepositioning of the electric motor employed for opening and closing thevalve in an inoperative position.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary View, partly in sec-- tion, showing gearingemployed between the electric motor and the valve arm of the controlvalve.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the gearing unmeshed andprior to returning to valve closing position.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the valve and itscounterbalance weight for moving said valve into olT position when thegearing is unmeshed.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a thermostat andheating coil therefor employed to control a vent valve.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates asupporting casing having mounted thereon a hollow post 2 carrying in itsupper end a bracket 3 to which is pivoted a signal supporting element 4equipped at one end with a counterblanced weight 5 for the purpose ofnormally maintaining the signal supporting element 4 in non-signalingposition. Suitably connected to the other end of the signal supportingelement is a figure or manikin 6, representing a traffic oflioercarrying in one hand a sign plate 1. The figure 6 and sign plate may beilluminated in any suitable manner. If desired, a suitable handoperating means (not shown) may be employed for actuating the signalsupporting element into signaling position, or an automatic operatingmeans may be employed and which will be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

Mounted in the post 2 adjacent the casing l is a cylinder 8 havingmounted therein a piston 9, the stem ID of which extends through theupper end of the cylinder and the post and has a pin and slot connectionII with the signal element 4. A cushion spring 12 surrounds the stem andis secured to the upper head of the cylinder for cushioning the movementof the piston as it nears its uppermost position. The upper cylinderhead of the cylinder has a vent opening 13 and the lower end has a ventopening l4 controlled by a valve I5. The lower head of the cylinder hasconnected thereto a pipe It leading to an air supply tank H, the latterbeing furnished with compressed air in any suitable Way such as acompressor l8 driven by an electric motor IS. A control valve 20 islocated in the pipe It for opening and closing the cylinder 8 to thesupply tank. The valve 2|] has secured thereto an arm 2| having a pinand slot connection with one end of a governor 22, the other end of thegovernor being secured to an electric motor 23 and driven thereby. Thegovernor when nonexpanded, as shown in Figure 2, positions the valve toclose the cylinder 8 to the supply and the governor when expanded, asshown in Figure 3, positions the valve to open the supply tank to thecylinder 8.

Instead of employing the governor 22 for the actuation of the valve 20,a drive 24 may be provided between the electric motor and the valveconsisting of a gear 25 suitably journalled and secured to the valve anda gear 26 capable of being moved into and out of mesh with the gear 25and secured to the armature shaft of the motor. In this instance, themotor is pivotally 5 mounted, as shown at 21, and a spring 28 engagesthe motor for nominally retaining the motor in a position to mesh thegear 26 with the gear 25. Connected to the motor for tilting the latterto disengage the gear 26 from the gear 25 is a rod 30 having an eye 3|at one end to slidably receive the stem 10 of the piston. A collar 32 issecured to the stem and is adapted to abut the eye for impartingmovement to the rod 30 and in turn tilting the motor to disengage thegear 26 from the gear 25 when the piston nears its uppermost positionfor the purpose of moving the signal element 4 into dotted lineposition, as shown in Figure 1, or into signalling position. Acounterbalance weight 33 is secured to the valve and acts to move saidvalve into closed position when the gears 26 and 25 are unmeshed, itbeing understood that the electric motor acts to open the valve whilethe weight acts to close the valve.

The electric motor is connected in an electric circuit 34 and thiscircuit includes an electrical source 35 and a block 36 of a railroadtrack. In order that the circuit be closed railroad rolling stock mustenter the block, this block taking in the crossing for motor andpedestrian traffic. While we have described this invention forcontrolling a crossing of a railroad it is to be understood that it maybe readily adapted for highways wherein the block 36 will be an areathrough which traffic proceeds and when said traffic is within the blockor area completes the circuit 34.

The vent valve 15 is of the needle type form operated by a thermostatwhich includes a circuit maker and breaker. The thermostat comprises adiaphragm 31 connected to the needle valve and a heating coil 39electrically connected to the circuit by conductors 39'. The circuitmaker and breaker combined with the thermostat consists of a fixedcontact 31' and a movable contact 38 operated by the diaphragm. Themovable contact 36 may form a part of the needle valve. The diaphragmwhen under atmospheric temperature opens the valve I5 to bleed thecylinder and to engage the movable contact with the stationary contact.The contacts 3'! and 38 are connected in the circuit 34 for opening andclosing the latter to the electric motor.

In operation, rolling stock entering the block area 35 completes thecircuit 34 energizing the heating coil of the thermostat and energizingthe electric motor. The motor opens the valve 20 admitting air pressureto the cylinder 8, forcing the piston upwardly and the signal figure 6into signaling position. The heat from the heating coil actuates thediaphragm seating the valve and trapping the air pressure in thecylinder to retain the signal in signalling position and at the sametime disengaging the movable contact 38 from the contact 31,deenergizing the motor so that the valve will be closed by the action ofthe governor or the weight 33, depending which form of our invention isemployed. The heating coil remains energized so long as the rollingstock remains in the block area and becomes deenergized when the rollingstock moves from, the block area so that the diaphragm may 0001 andreturn to its initial position, opening the vent opening M to bleed thecylinder and permit the weight 5 to move the signal figure intonon-signaling position. As the rolling stock or vehicle passes from theblock area 36 the circuit 34 is opened, deenergizing the electric motorand the thermostat. The thermostat when deenergized contracts and opensthe valve l3, exhausting the air from the cylinder, allowing the weight5 to return the signal element 4 to non-signaling position. The motor 23stopping its operation, the governor contracts and restores the valve toa closed position, interrupting the flow of air pressure from the sourceI! to the cylinder 8. However, when the drive 24 is employed between thevalve and the electric motor, the circuit 34 when caused to energize themotor causes an opening of the valve by the gears 26 and 25 being inmesh. As the piston reaches its uppermost position the collar 32actuates the rod 30 and rocks the motor on its pivot disengaging thegear 26 from the gear 25. As soon as the gear 26 is disengaged from thegear 25, the weight 23 acts to close and interrupt the flow of airpressure from the source to the cylinder. The piston retains itsuppermost position until the circuit is broken which permits thethermostat to open the valve l5 and bleed the cylinder. The bleeding ofthe cylinder permits the signal element 4 to return to non-signalingposition and the piston to its lowermost position and as the pistonreturns to its lowermost position the collar 32 moving downwardly,permits the spring 28 to pivot the motor and thereby mesh the gears 26and 25.

It will be understood that the control device for our signal may beadapted to control the movement of various other elements other thansignals.

We claim:

1. A safety device comprising a supporting post, a signal elementpivoted to said post, counterbalance means normally positioning thesignal element in non-signaling position, a cylinder carried by saidpost, a piston operating in said cylinder and connected to the signalelement, an air supply means, a pipe connecting said air supply means tothe cylinder, a valve for opening and closing said pipe and when openadapted to admit air to the cylinder for action on the piston toposition the signal element in signaling position, an electric motor, anelectric circuit for said motor and including a block area through whicha vehicle traverses and completes said circuit, means connecting saidmotor to the valve, and electrical means connected in said circuit fornormally closing the latter to the motor and for venting the cylinderand adapted to break the circuit to the motor and close the venting ofthe cylinder after the signal element moves into signaling position bythe vehicle entering the block area and to vent said cylinder after thepassing of the vehicle from the block area and to restore the circuit tosaid motor.

2. A safety device comprising a supporting post, a signal elementpivoted to said post, counterbalance means normally positioning thesignal element in non-signaling position, a cylinder carried by saidpost, a piston operating in said cylinder and connected to the signalelement, an air supply means, a pipe connecting said air supply means tothe cylinder, a valve for opening and closing said pipe and when openadapted to admit air to the cylinder for action on the piston toposition the signal element in signaling position, an electric motor, anelectric circuit for said motor and including a block area through whicha vehicle traverses and completes said circuit, means connecting saidmotor to the valve and adapted to automatically close the valve on thestopping of the motor, a vent valve for said cylinder, a thermostatincluding a diaphragm connected to the vent valve and a heating coilelectrically connected to said circuit, movable and non-movable contactsconnected in said circuit for controlling the latter to the motor andhaving the movable contact actuated by the diaphragm and engaging thenon-movable contact when said diaphragm is under atmospheric temperaturewhereby a vehicle entering the block area closes said circuit and.energizes the motor to open the first valve for admitting air pressureto the cylinder to position the signal element in signaling position andsimultaneously energizes the heating coil to permit the heat therefromto act on the diaphragm to seat the vent valve and simultaneouslydisengage the movable contact from the non-movable contact to deenergizethe electric motor and permit said means between the first valve and themotor to act to close said first valve.

FRED S. LALOR.

EUGENE ALLEN.

